Published at 1:18 PM PST on Dec 27, 2016

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MOUNTAINS OF MAJESTY: It isn't too often that a person gets to use "snow-capped" in everyday conversation, at least if one lives within an hour of the ocean. But that doesn't mean that the allure of snow-capped-a-tude, the desire to not only admire gigantic peaks but see them with a solid dusting of flakeage, doesn't exist. The notion of the snow-capped peak is mythic, after all, and myth can stir in a heart deeply, especially when the person who has such a heart knows that snow-capped sights are but a few hours away. Look to the epic, epically craggy, epically everything-that's-amazing Sierra Nevada, and turn your gaze specifically on June Lake. The charmer of a walkable burg sits about a half hour north-ish of Mammoth Mountain by car, and it gallantly rocks one of the most tantalizing, brrr-laden, storybooky nicknames in all of the Golden State. It's...

"THE SWITZERLAND OF CALIFORNIA"... and one glance up at Carson Peak tells the full story. It's a straight-up, ridges-galore kind of sight, one that is Alps-y in its enormity but, of course, is pure Sierra grandeur. Other peaks in the June Lake vicinity offer the same sort of breath-taking-ness, with spots like Silver Lake adding foreground beauty to the not-too-distant mountains. So what's to do in The Switzerland of California when winter pulls into town, and all of the snow-capped gorgeousness? A solid starting place is the Mono County tourism page, which details wintry activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and more. Swinging by the online HQ for the June Lake Loop can also give a peek at the peaks and all of the nearby fun times that go down when the snowflakes are falling.